Sometimes, faux foliage can fool even the well-trained eye. Only a close-up inspection of branches, leaves or blooms will reveal the truth.

The faux family features two prominent members: artificial and preserved. But what separates these two products, and how can they be used?

Interior Business asked several suppliers of artificial and preserved plants to explain their products, applications, cost, care and more. Katie Acklin, sales, Autograph Foliages, Cleveland, Ohio; Dennis Gabrick, president and CEO, Preserved TreeScapes International, Oceanside, Calif.; and Dave O’Connor, manager, Mall Silks, Pittsburgh, Pa., share their insights.

IB: Are there differences between artificial and preserved plants?

KA: Yes, there are several differences. One obvious factor is the material. Artificial plants are molded with (plastic) trunks, and flowers or leaves are made of polyester fabric. Cost is another key difference. Typically, preserved is more expensive than artificial.

DG: Preserved plants are not artificial. Even though the inside core might not be natural – it might be steel, PVC or fiberglass – everything that touches it was once live. This bridges the gap between artificial and live.

Here, we break things down three different ways: preserved, replica and fabricated. (Replica) is when we use natural trunks and put on artificial leaves. Then, we have fabricated trees, where we’ve taken a mold of a live tree to re-create all its nuances.

IB: Which applications best suit preserved vs. artificial plants?

KA: Preserved plants are more commonly used in high-end commercial areas, such as shopping malls and upscale hotel atriums. Artificial plants can be used in various applications, from high-end, high-traffic commercial areas to residential settings.

DG: All the applications somewhat blend together. It depends on what will be the most cost effective, what gives us the best result and what the client wants. If someone wants a 30-foot oak, for example, it can’t be replica or preserved. It has to be fabricated. And it’s really easy to do an artificial Ficus, magnolia or oak leaf, but you can’t get all the detail if you try to do a 10-foot palm. No matter how good the manufacturing company is, you can’t replicate it well enough so that the customer says it looks real.

DO: The preserved palms tend to have a more Southern look and on some Northern projects, that may not be preferred. Artificial also has a larger selection of plant varieties, sizes, colors and pricing. The preserved plants are available as small as 5 to 6 feet, but most of the items sold are palms 15 feet and larger.

IB: Is there a cost difference between artificial and preserved foliage vs. live plants?

KA: There can be, depending on size, specimen and freight costs. In the long term, artificial plants can be more cost effective with minimal maintenance as opposed to live plants that require frequent watering and additional care.

DG: Size has a lot to do with cost effectiveness. The larger the artificial tree gets, the closer to its live counterpart it becomes. The smaller its gets, the more there is a difference in price. It’s hard for us to compete in the 6- to 8-foot category, but when you get into live 30-foot and you look at the cost of installation and transportation, we get a lot closer.

(Live) plants either live or die, but either way, they have to be replaced. We think the best solution is a blend of preserved and replica with live. The average interiorscaper makes money on the recurring revenue and that gets damaged when he has to make a lot of replacements. It’s one thing to replace color or plants under 10 feet, but when you start replacing 20-foot trees, it hurts the bottom line.

DO: Replicas are normally 1½ to two times the cost of a live plant.

IB: Are there any challenges associated with installing preserved or artificial materials?

KA: Generally, there are more challenges with live plants. Extra time and labor is involved in plant adaptation, irrigation and transportation or equipment during installation.

DG: No, they’re easy to install and much lighter in weight. A 25-foot palm shouldn’t take any more than an hour to put in. If you’ve ever put an artificial Christmas tree up and if you can follow directions, then you can do it.

DO: Our products are made in standard grow pots and to the same overall size as live plants. This allows interiorscapers to design the installation as if the project was live and then do a simple conversion to silk. We also ship plants completely potted and shaped. The installer only needs to give the plant a quick fluff. This allows the installation crew to keep moving.

IB: How long will artificial or preserved plants last?

KA: This really depends on the installation. The effects of sunlight on silk plants and exposure to humidity on preserved can damage foliage faster. If they are neglected, artificial and preserved plants will deteriorate and the quality and look will be undesirable.

DG: When it comes to preserved plants, there are two aspects: the trunk and foliage. The trunk will be there as long as the building will, but the foliage wears out. The preservation doesn’t go bad, but it may look shabby from cleaning. If you clean it quarterly, it will last an easy five years, but plan in the budget to do a foliage replacement in the fifth or sixth year.

IB: What is the importance of inherently fire-retardant foliage?

KA: Many large commercial installations require inherently fire-retardant foliage. Autograph has been proactive with developing new inherently fire-retardant plants.

DG: Inherent means the fire retardant is in the fabric itself; with plastic, it means you can take a match to it and it doesn’t burn. We found our own fabrics, so you get a product that you don’t have to coat with a salt-based fire retardant. When you apply this to artificial plants, it gives them a white, chalky look. It attracts dirt and it’s washed off when you clean them, so it has to be reapplied. Also, it puts the coating on the leaves, not the stem, and the stems will still burn, melt and be toxic.

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